The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-04-21
Mrs, Gallagber's Peacock,
A TALE OF A FEUD BETWEEN
NEIGHBORs.


% entered society occupies an ele-
giant, If not entirely comfortable, res
idence on the East Side. The house has
bay windows everywhere, a cupola and
a tower. 1t has grown as the district
has grown, from what was called
"Shantytown" into tract of surprising
apartment houses. 1t has grown as Gal
laher has grown, from Castle Garden
frescoer in whitewash to a politician
whose barge has gathered golden sands
by the banks of the amber river of rum.
1t has grown as Mrs. Gallaher has
grown, from thin woman in q nine
dollar Paisley shawl of a Sunday to
stout woman In "salehide" sacque
and SOLITARY shtones" in her ears. Gal
laher, in fact, is now a drum-major, So
cially speaking, while Mrs. Gallaher is a
full brass band.
The only thorn in Mrs. Gallaher's am
pie side has been the G.. Washington Mil
lards. The G. Washington Millards live
opposite. They are not people of color,
because blacki is not a color, and they are
black. When Gallaher, like young
Michael Angelo, was mixing pigments
for the walls he was destined later to own
in fee simple, G. w. Millard was Sleep
ing-car porter on the Central. Their
fortunes grew together and they became
rivals socially. They were neck and
neck in the matter of bay windows, and
when Millard mounted cupola Gallaher
angrily saw him and went one better
with the tower. This won the game, as
the cupola had been set in the centre Of
the Millard roof and there was no room
for tower unless built on a platform
with supports.
The rivalry in display has been in
tensely bitter between the wives. Con-
sequently when Gallaher came home last
Tuesday night and saw the frown on the
face of his better half he knew some
thing had happened. The dinner passed
off in silence. When Gallaher had taken
a postprandial plunge in the fish bowl
and was wiping his mouth on napkin,
which has a deafening monogram in
green embroidery and an emerald crest
that was lost by one of the Irish kings at
the fight by the Boyne water, Mrs. Gal.
laher said to the bonne:
"Ornriette
"Yes, madame"
"Take the children to rowl their shkates
an the new cimint soidewalk. Don't be
lettin' thin tark to any odher children
or ye naden't come back. Do ye moind ?''
"Yes, madame" And the parents were
left to themselves.
Mrs. Gallaher was silent for few mo.
ments, lost in sad and bitter musings
Gallaher, understanding the situation
was apparently absorbed in the large
print of newspaper waiting for her to
speak. After some minutes she said
furtively, in hoarse whisper:
"Dinnis?"
"What?"
"The naygur woman has pug darg."
whats a pug darg?"
"a dirty little baste wild black nose
all jammed in an CLASH eyes,"
can what do she be doin' wild a pug
darg?"
"Ladin' it up an down all day long in
frint av the house to shpoite me-" She
breathed savagely and her eyes snapped
with suppressed anger.
Gallaher was aroused and angry too
kelly has shmall bulldarg 'as'll chew
the head'off'n him." he said.
The lady shook her head. cts moi
French t'have bull dargs."
There was silence, and each cast about
for counter to this body blow that the
Millards had struck. Mrs. Gallaher spoke
first.
DIMINISH
"What?"
"Paycocks is NICE"
whats paycocks."
cts bic burrud wild bulrs-eye feath
ers in its tail. Ye seen 'em in the park
"Like painted turkey!"
"That same"
"Ahaw
The next day Gallaher purchased tn,
finest peacock that money could buy.
The peacock arrived the next evening
on a dray. The huge coop was taker
into the laundry-room, in the basement
and the family gathered for a private
view on the eve of the public display
When the coop door was opened i
stepped out, took one, two, and ther
three suspicious steps, craning its purple
neck and looking suspiciously about
The family stared, but said nothing
Neither did the peacock.
"Has it a song?" asked the servan
girl, breaking the silence.
Faith, it's no dickey burrud," salt
Mrs. Gallaher contemptuously.
"We orter feed it," said Dennis Gal
laher, Jr., aged twelve. "What does i
eat, mar"
"Oh, thin things ates chaneyware ant
rocks and chingle nails" said his mothe
airily. She was fashionably familia
with the gastric weaknesses of all fash
} ionable pets.
Dennis junior tried it with broker
cup, but it had no appetite. When som
corn was put in the cup 1t took thre
grains, one at time, and with grea
deliberation. 1t appeared to prefer Den
mis- junior.
"Why don't it blow up its tail, ma |?
, asked he.
There's no CRASH here. Whin it get
an the lawn veil see 1t pull the stirring.